TODAY’S FOCUS: Gwinnettian Reflects About the United States’ Painfully Polarized People
EEB PERSPECTIVE: Bridge Over 1-16 To Be Named for Fallen Firefighter from Gwinnett
SPOTLIGHT: Gwinnett Medical Center
FEEDBACK: Suggests Retired Counselors To Help DFCS Case Load Problem
UPCOMING: Schelly Marlatt To Become New Clean and Beautiful Director
NOTABLE: Lawrenceville Graduates Seven Students from Explorer’s Program
RECOMMENDED: House of Mirth by Edith Wharton
GEORGIA TIDBIT: Scientist Became Famous for Work at the University of Georgia
TODAY’S QUOTE: Why Sitting Down Helps You In Ways You Can’t Imagine
MYSTERY PHOTO: Even the Weather Might Be A Clue in This Mystery Photo
CALENDAR: State of Peachtree Corners Address by Mayor Coming Monday
Gwinnettian reflects about United States’ painfully polarized people
(Editor’s Note: While this was submitted as a letter to the Forum, it addresses the situation all Americans find themselves in these days. For that reason, we lead off with it today, as it speaks to what many of us are thinking, and us wondering where all this will lead. –eeb)
By Michael Wood
PEACHTREE CORNERS, July 15, 2015 | Police shooting black men. A black man shooting police. Political candidates for President of the United States who have either old, heavy baggage or who are creating their own new, heavy baggage by producing heavily grating comments.
Wood
To coin a phrase, “Are we going to make America grate again”?
Are we going to become our own “ugly American” again in the eyes of the world or even in our own eyes? We will if we continue current political rhetoric and violent aggression against each other.
The Democratic and Republican parties are more polarized than they have been in decades, maybe as polarized as ever. No wonder so many of the American people are themselves polarized and against what the two parties say that they stand for. All this is painful to witness. Coupled with the many recent shooting, killings and outbreaks of violence, the pain goes beyond the mind and to the very depths of the soul of Americans and people everywhere.
Just what is our country doing to us all?
How might we bring our country back together? Can we “make the center hold”? Or will many of us stay at opposite poles figuratively and literally shooting at each other with harsh words or real bullets?
I’m not sure, but I believe it starts with me, an individual American. The words I say and the actions I take will either build bridges or walls. I intend to be more mindful of my words and actions and to view and treat my fellow Americans as my neighbors.
Bridge over I-16 to be named for fallen firefighter from Gwinnett
By Elliott Brack, editor and publisher
JULY 15, 2016 | Many of us do not recognize how many government services we have. For instance, when motorists are driving down Interstate 16 toward Savannah, south of Macon you see a sign for the town of Allentown. Motorists along about a 20-mile section of this interstate are under the protection of the Allentown Volunteer Fire Department. The department often makes emergency runs — about 16 percent of its calls — for accidents or auto fires on the Interstate.
During the last six months, the 16 volunteers of the Allentown Fire Department answered 127 calls, ranging from house fires to extricating people from automobiles after accidents. The department last week answered one call where a person from Oxford, Ga., burned to death in a wreck on the Interstate.
All this, mind you, from a city of only about 200 residents. Though the city has a post office, there is no rural delivery. Its annual budget is about $125,000.
One volunteer mans the fire station during the day, though all available respond to calls. Those working at the station get paid $100 a day. Three of its volunteers are emergency medical technicians.
The volunteers have a fleet of four vehicles worth close to $1 million to make these calls. Most of the funds for the rolling stock comes through governmental grants, as the department serves a 20-mile radius. Allentown is uniquely located geographically where four county corners of Georgia come together: Wilkinson, Twiggs, Bleckley and Laurens. Firefighters from these counties often help each other with emergency calls.
The Allentown equipment includes four diesel units:
- A F-650 Ford rescue truck, used on most calls. It stores 300 gallons of water, enough to spray on a fire until another truck can get there.
- A 3,000 gallon Kenworth tanker, obtained from Fouts Brothers of Atlanta.
- A Cummings 75-foot ladder truck with custom cab from E-1 of Ocala, Fla., used for structure fires, with 500 gallons a minute pump. The $650,000 truck was obtained through a regional grant for the four counties that the volunteers serve.
- The latest addition, a Freightliner 1,000 gallon pumper made by E-1 of Ocala.
Motorists traveling Intestate 16 near Allentown, seemingly in the “middle of nowhere,” are often surprised to see three fire trucks and eight firefighters responding to their emergency. It’s a government service few are aware of….until you are in an accident.
Steven Brack
ON JULY 18, there will be a ceremony honoring a fallen Allentown firefighter, Steven Brack. He’s the son of my first cousin, Charles.
The Georgia Highway 112 bridge at the Allentown exit over Interstate 16 will be named in his memory on that date. He died at age 36 less than a mile from the bridge on Oct. 11, 2004, when responding to a call on the Interstate, as he hydroplaned on a rain-slicked road.
Steve was born in Atlanta at Emory Hospital on April 9, 1968. He was raised in Buford, before his family moved to Sugar Hill when he was 11. He is a graduate of North Gwinnett High School, where he excelled at wrestling. At Middle Georgia College in Cochran, he met his future wife, Jill Dykes of Cochran. His name is listed in the Fallen Firefighter Memorial of Georgia in Forsyth and the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial, in Emmitsburg, Md. His family is active in the national fallen firefighter organization and regularly attends meetings.
The Allentown city commission passed a resolution to ask the state to name the bridge in honor one of their former residents.
Gwinnett Medical Center
The public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com to you at no cost to readers. Gwinnett Medical Center’s parent company is Gwinnett Health System (GHS), which also includes Gwinnett Medical Group and Sequent Health Physician Partners. GMC employs approximately 5,000 associates and has 800 affiliated physicians serving more than 400,000 patients annually. Gwinnett Medical Center (GMC) is a nationally-recognized, not-for-profit healthcare network with acute-care hospitals in Lawrenceville and Duluth. Additional facilities include: the Gwinnett Women’s Pavilion, the Gwinnett Extended Care Center, Glancy Rehabilitation Center, outpatient health centers and surgical centers, imaging centers and outpatient physical, occupational and speech therapy facilities.
- To learn more about how GMC is transforming healthcare, visit gwinnettmedicalcenter.org.
- For a list of other sponsors of this forum, go to: Our sponsors.
Suggests retired counselors to help DFCS case load problem
Editor, The Forum:
Bobby D. Cagle, director of the Georgia Department of Family and Children’s Services (DFCS), announced a goal to reform this most important program. I applaud this. DFCS has saved many and needs the resources to continue its work.
The number one issue for DFCS is the case load size. A reduced case load would allow DFCS representatives to have more time in their investigations and for them to know the families better. I would like to suggest to Mr. Cagle and his staff that retired school counselors and school social workers be hired. They would take over the role of telephone in-take officer and be a support to the investigators and other staff.
Although some special training would be necessary, these people have already had extensive training and experience in dealing with children and families. They are skilled in communications and documentation. These people could be job-ready quickly. If former counselors and social workers were hired to cover the heaviest time of day, I believe it would release more DFCS staff for investigations and other necessary activities. I daresay that more than 60 percent of the calls come from school counselors and administrators during school hours (8 a.m. to 4 p.m).
Since funding is a limiting factor for freeing more DFCS investigators and helping to reduce case loads, hiring retirees would save money. After all, retirees from the State of Georgia already have a benefit package providing retirement, insurance, etc., thus reducing cost of their employment.
— Marlene Ratledge Buchanan, Snellville
On Democratic sit-in, split silk and remembering Plum Nelly
Editor, the Forum:
For what it’s worth, I am in full agreement with sit-in conducted by Cong. John Lewis and the Democrats. The “kindergarten” sit-in pales in comparison to the numerous government shut downs and other temper tantrums pulled by the Republicans over the years.
Also, on the list of unusual place names’ Split Silk is in Walton County by about four miles, not in Gwinnett County.
Also, one of my favorite place-names did not make the list. I don’t know if the community still exists, but a number of years ago, there was a community in north Georgia called “Plum Nelly,” so named because it was “plum out of Tennessee and ‘nelly’ out of Georgia.”
— Robert Hanson, Loganville
- Send us your thoughts: We encourage you to send us your letters and thoughts on issues raised in GwinnettForum. Please limit comments to 200 words. We reserve the right to edit for clarity and length. Send feedback and letters to: elliott@brack.net
Marlatt to become new Clean and Beautiful director
Gwinnett County has named Schelly Marlatt the new executive director of Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful effective August 1. Marlatt has been employed by Gwinnett County since 2010 and currently serves as section manager for the solid waste and recovered materials division. The Leadership Gwinnett graduate and active volunteer previously worked for Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful as human resources and community outreach manager.
Marlatt
Earlier in the week, the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners approved two separate agreements with Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful Inc. The County’s partnership with the nonprofit Keep America Beautiful affiliate dates back to 1980.
The first agreement, a memorandum of understanding, spells out the relationship between the two groups and defines a shared vision for environmental stewardship and education programs like Adopt-A-Road, Adopt-A-Stream, litter and graffiti prevention, waste reduction and recycling awareness, and community events. Commissioners also approved staffing and the reallocation of funding for services to be provided by Gwinnett County under this agreement. Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful Services Inc. will continue to operate as a volunteer-led nonprofit organization and work directly with County staff led by Marlatt.
Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful Board Chairman Bartow Morgan said, “Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful has a renewed focus on environmental education and engagement efforts throughout Gwinnett County. The facts tell us that we need to invest our time, talents, and treasure to end littering, improve recycling, and beautify our community.”
In a separate action, both parties also agreed to discontinue an earlier lease agreement for a recycling center location on Satellite Boulevard. Operations at the center ceased at the end of April.m
Exhibit at The Hudgens features works via hand-made expressiveness
On view through September 24 at the Hudgens Center for the Arts in Duluth is an exhibition of Southern artists, which features a selection of works capturing the essence of hand-made expressiveness. The exhibit brings together pieces of contemporary Southern art from four artists with drastically different backgrounds.
Featuring Natalie Chanin, Florence, Ala; Susan Hable, Athens, Ga.; Rita Mae Pettway, Gee’s Bend, Ala; and Rebecca Wood, of Athens; these exhibits are seen through fashion, print, quilting, and pottery. Although each artist explores a different medium to convey their artistic expressions, all four artists have created works that are prime examples of defying the value placed in factory- produced products. In a fast-paced world, where people demand speed at the cost of quality, this exhibit shows a world where character in art is not sacrificed for the convenience of speed nor quantity. In essence, visit The Hudgens and enter a world where the art is home-grown and home-made.
In addition to the hand-made exhibit, The Hudgens is also presenting artwork in partnership with the Creative Enterprises Art Program. On display through September 24,” RECLAIMED: Creative Expressions from Creative Enterprises” features a variety of mixed media works.
Creative Enterprises is a non-profit organization based in Lawrenceville that is dedicated to assisting adults with disabilities and others with barriers to employment in maximizing their potential.
Only one Gwinnett precinct will be in operation in runoff
A runoff election in only one precinct in Gwinnett on July 26 will help select a Republican candidate for State House District 81. Polls will be Open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. A majority of this district is located in DeKalb County.
This election will only be held for voters who are registered to vote at Precinct 38 – Stripling Elementary School, 6155 Atlantic Boulevard in Norcross. No additional runoff elections will be held in Gwinnett County.
In addition, this runoff election is only for the Republican ballot. If voters are assigned to Stripling Elementary School and they voted a Republican or Nonpartisan ballot in the May 24 General Primary, they may vote in this runoff election. Also, if their voting precinct is Stripling Elementary School and they did not vote in the May 24 General Primary, they may vote in this runoff election. There is no runoff for the Democratic ballot.
Lawrenceville graduates 7 students from Explorer’s program
Seven students are now graduates of the Lawrenceville Police Explorer’s program, having successfully completed the local 37th Annual Michigan Law Enforcement Youth Training Academy. The graduates were recognized by Lawrenceville’s Mayor Judy Jordan Johnson recently.
The 2016 graduates: Luis Ramirez (Squad Leader), Marili Sanchez, Dondre Troupe, Joecelyne Quezada, Jesus Ferretiz, Irene Membreno and Carlos Zaragoza.
During the week-long program, the young men and women, ages 16 to 20, experienced police training situations under leadership by an assigned academy drill instructor. The program is designed to teach the explorers practical life skills with an emphasis on time management, presentation, study and organization skills.
In order to be admitted into the academy, explorers must maintain good academic standing, possess strong work ethic, and demonstrate good moral character. Lt. Ryan Morgan, Lawrenceville Police Department, says: “Every day, the explorers spent time learning close-order drill, in order to teach them discipline and team work, as well as taking academic classes, and observing demonstrations. We are very proud of this dedicated group of men and women who came to the program as individuals and finished strong as a team.”
- For more information about the Lawrenceville Police Department or the Police Explorer’s program, visit http://www.lawrencevillepd.com/.
Million-dollar renovation at Ronald Reagan Park now complete
Eleven year old Ronald Reagan Park has gotten a facelift. The $1,116,000 renovation was completed at Ronald Reagan Park through a grant from the Land and Water Conservation Fund and funding from the 2014 SPLOST. Renovations included removal and reconstruction of the skate park, reconstruction of footbridges and railings, construction of a gabion wall at stream, dog park reconfiguration with storm drainage improvements, sidewalk connections, erosion control, landscaping and reforestation.
Ronald Reagan Park’s colorful playground area is a great way for kids to enjoy the outdoors. Other amenities in this 25 acre park include dog park area, horseshoe pits, shuffleboard courts, bocce ball courts, two half-basketball courts, pavilions and multi-purpose trail. This park is open from sunrise until sunset. Ronald Reagan Park is located at 2777 Five Forks Trickum Road in Lawrenceville.
- For more information on the park or upcoming events and programs visit www.gwinnettparks.com.
House of Mirth
A novel by Edith Wharton
House of Mirth highlights the ruthlessness of New York’s top social tier in the late 1800s during the Gilded Age. In some ways the book is absurd, trivial and ridiculous and you wonder how people could actually act the way they did. But that’s the point. The social structure where everyone tries to out dazzle each other and shut others out was indeed absurd, trivial and ridiculous. This story was particularly tragic. A young beauty struggles to stay in her “set” at the top of the social ladder. But her father’s fortune is lost and she must find a rich husband to survive. She has been raised to be an ornament to a husband and, even though she can see outside her gilded cage, she only knows how to live within it. This is a story about her struggles, and how the brutal life of socialites conspired against her.
— Susan McBrayer, Sugar Hill
An invitation: what books, restaurants, movies or web sites have you enjoyed recently? Send us your recent selection, along with a short paragraph (100 words) as to why you liked this, plus what you plan to visit or read next. –eeb
Scientist became famous for work at the the University of Georgia
An internationally known scientist, Henry Clay White served as professor of chemistry at the University of Georgia from 1872 to 1927. White was especially interested in the application of chemistry to the improvement of crops, and he advanced agricultural science and education in Georgia.
Born in Baltimore, Md., on December 30, 1848, White was the son of Louisa Elvira Brown and Levi Stratton White, a merchant. After graduating from the University of Virginia in 1870, he worked briefly for a chemical company in Baltimore and presented lectures at the city’s Maryland Institute for the Promotion of Mechanic Arts. In 1871-72 White served as the professor of chemistry at St. John’s College in Annapolis, Md., but he left at the end of the term to become professor of chemistry at the University of Georgia.
Finding poorly equipped facilities at the university, he set about to improve the situation and developed one of the better chemical laboratories in the region. Devoting considerable time to agricultural chemistry, he published a number of important studies of soil conditions and the cotton plant. He was particularly interested in improving the quality of fertilizers. In addition to his regular duties, White served as chemist for the Georgia State Geological Survey (1876-78), the state of Georgia (1880-90), and the Georgia Experiment Station (1888-1914), located in Griffin, where he also served as vice director (1891-1912).
Despite opposition from critics who disliked his liberal views and his advocacy of the theory of evolution, White was appointed in 1890 as president of the State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, which was affiliated with the University of Georgia. Deflecting the efforts of some of the Trustees to make the college an entirely independent institution, he succeeded in integrating it with the university in 1906 as the College of Agriculture. He remained in his administrative post until 1907.
White’s national and international standing had continued to grow. In 1893 he was elected as a member of Britain’s Royal Chemical Society, and he was active in many professional organizations. White continued to publish articles in agricultural chemistry, and he conducted a series of important dietary studies in north Georgia.
He was the recipient of six honorary doctoral degrees, the last of which was awarded by Columbia University in 1908. Concerned over increasing diplomatic tensions in the world after the turn of the century, White devoted time to the work of peace and arbitration conferences and addressed the Lake Mohonk (New York) Conference on International Arbitration in 1908 and 1912.
A confirmed proponent of the theory of evolution by 1875, White organized a conference on the topic in Athens, Georgia, in 1909, in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin, whom he considered to be one of the four greatest thinkers in history.
During his later years White wrote on literary topics, and in 1926 he published a biography of Abraham Baldwin, the founder of the University of Georgia. White was married to Ella Frances Roberts from 1872 until her death in 1913; they had no children. He died in Athens on November 30, 1927.
- For more from the Georgia Encyclopedia online, go to http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org
Even the weather could be a clue in this Mystery Photo
Identification of this edition’s Mystery Photo could be easier than usual, with lots of clues staring you in the face: a ship, water, the weather and a harbor. Granted, this may be difficult to identify. Now figure out where this photograph was taken. Send your best idea to Elliott@brack.net and include your hometown.
Jeff Dyer of Suwanee recognized the rocky coast in Maine as last edition’s mystery photo. The photo was sent in by Ed Thayer of Peachtree Corners, who shot it at the Acadia National Park. Bob Foreman of Grayson also correctly identified the photo.
George Graf of Palmyra, Va., gave us more information on the area of the photo: “The rocky coastline in the Acadia National Park is primarily located on Maine’s Mount Desert Island near the popular tourist town of Bar Harbor, Maine. Acadia National Park is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. The park began its life as the Sieur de Monts National Monument, created on July 8, 1916, by President Woodrow Wilson. It became a national park in 1919 and assumed its current name 10 years later. Later, John D. Rockefeller Jr. directed the construction of the popular network of carriage roads. Acadia was the nation’s first national park in the East, and it was the first park created entirely through private donations.”
(NEW) ArtFest Gwinnett will be marked on the Lawrenceville Lawn, 210 Luckie Street, on Saturday, July 16, from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Local artisans will fill the park displaying and selling handmade works of art.
(NEW) The Mystery of Trees is the title of a talk on Monday July 18 at the meeting of the Gwinnett Historical Society. The meeting is at 7 p.m. at the Gwinnett Historic Courthouse in Lawrenceville. The speaker will be Don Wells, President of Coalition of Mountain Stewards, Appalachia Va.,
(NEW) The State of the City of Peachtree Corners will be presented by Mayor Mike Mason at the United Peachtree Corners Civic Assocation meeting on Monday, July 18 at 7 p.m. The meeting will be held at Christ the King Lutheran Church located 5575 Peachtree Parkway.
GwinnettForum is provided to you at no charge every Tuesday and Friday. If you would like to serve as an underwriter, click here to learn more:
- MORE: Contact Editor and Publisher Elliott Brack at: elliott@gwinnettforum.com
Follow Us